INHA Chapter 97

Moonlit: I wasn’t able to update yesterday because of too much schoolwork. Thus, I’ll add yesterday’s update to today’s.

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Lu Xianhong’s face was more dreadful than ever because he realized the concerns that Brother Zhao had just expressed.

“Are we just going to watch him get more and more popular, eventually overshadowing me?” Lu Xianhong was genuinely unwilling to accept this.

Brother Zhao sighed, “Let’s just keep a low profile and do nothing.”

Lu Xianhong nodded. After Brother Zhao left, Lu Xianhong’s face was hidden in the darkness, his expression unreadable. He muttered softly, “I’m really unwilling. If I can’t stay popular, then what’s the point of living?”

He took out another spare phone and dialed a number he had memorized. After a moment, a sinister voice came through, “What do you need?”

Lu Xianhong’s heart tightened at the sound of that voice, but he suppressed his fear due to his apprehension of Xu Dongyou and his own unstable position. He said, “I need you to help me kill someone. The reward is substantial, but it must be done in a way that no one knows it was you or me.”

“Who is it?”

“An ordinary person named Xu Dongyou, but he’s the spokesperson for the new product launched by the Anomaly Handling Bureau.”

Although Lu Xianhong didn’t want to reveal this detail, for his own safety, he had to disclose it to the other party.

He was even prepared for the possibility of being rejected, as despite being an ordinary person, Xu Dongyou was still connected to the Anomaly Handling Bureau.

There shouldn’t be any peculiar individuals willing to risk being targeted by the Anomaly Handling Bureau to go against them.

Thinking of this, Lu Xianhong felt a pang of jealousy. He was not only envious of Xu Dongyou’s official spokesperson role but also of his connection with the Anomaly Handling Bureau.

If Xu Dongyou ever encountered danger, the Anomaly Handling Bureau might prioritize sending skilled handlers to rescue him due to his spokesperson status.

Realizing this, Lu Xianhong’s heart sank. Wasn’t he just asking for trouble by trying to have Xu Dongyou killed?

Why was he so bold? Even if he eventually fell from the front lines to the eighteenth line, he would still earn more money than an ordinary person could in a lifetime.

There was no need to take such a high-risk approach to gamble on this possibility.

Lu Xianhong hesitated. Just as he was about to back out, the other party seemed to sense his hesitation. Without asking how much, they directly said, “It’s not a problem for me to help you kill him, but I need any item he has used.”

Hearing this, Lu Xianhong was even more hesitant. This would increase the risk of exposure, but he couldn’t say it outright. He could only vaguely and tactfully say, “I’ve thought it over, and I’m reconsidering…”

The other party’s sinister voice chuckled darkly, “Don’t worry, the method I will use to kill him will definitely not be traced back to you. Afterward, I’ll go abroad; they won’t find me and you won’t be exposed.”

Lu Xianhong was even more reluctant. The more he thought about it, the more he felt it wasn’t worth forcing himself into a dead end. No matter how small the risk, if discovered, it could mean certain death.

“Are you really willing to watch him surpass you and one day be looked down upon by everyone you once considered beneath you?” The other party’s voice carried an almost indescribable temptation, like the voice of a demon.

The jealousy and fear of his unstable position that Lu Xianhong had buried deep within flared up again. With all rationality gone, he gritted his teeth and said, “I’ll go get something related to him for you right away.”

He didn’t even think about the fact that the other party hadn’t mentioned how much the reward would be. After hanging up, he began to think of a plan and quickly came up with an idea.

Meanwhile, Xu Dongyou’s endorsement of the official screen-casting smartphone was becoming increasingly popular. It had reached a point where it was widely known; even elderly people who didn’t use the internet were aware of it and were asking their children when they would buy this screen-casting smartphone, as it concerned their family’s safety.

Although, over a thousand yuan was indeed a bit expensive.

For young people and middle-aged men and women with children, however, spending just over a thousand yuan on a phone wasn’t considered expensive. Most importantly, the phone had a unique and convenient design, eliminating the worry of running out of battery and also serving as an emergency alarm device. Thus, many felt it was so cheap they had to confirm several times, wondering how it could be only a little over a thousand yuan!!!

Why hesitate? Of course, they need to buy one for the whole family!

As for the many fans of Xu Dongyou’s competitors who, despite being constantly provoked by others with ulterior motives trying to spark conflicts with Xu Dongyou, remained as calm as ever. They didn’t react no matter how much they were insulted; they simply refused to take the bait.

“I really didn’t expect this…” Many idol stars felt a pang of envy but were helpless in the face of Xu Dongyou’s success.

For those who had previously participated in variety shows with Xu Dongyou and had now become popular singers themselves, appearing on various shows and making a name for themselves, their emotions were mixed after seeing the official news. They felt both envy and jealousy, their feelings were very complex.

Some, who were bolder, wanted to contact Xu Dongyou to inquire about the insider details but struggled because they didn’t have his contact information. On the other hand, Yan Yu and Li Ge, who had maintained a good relationship with Xu Dongyou before, were genuinely happy for him and also felt a stronger sense of competition. They knew they needed to work hard and not fall too far behind.

Both sent Xu Dongyou a message with just a brief note congratulating him.

Xu Dongyou replied to both, then had to start responding to other friends. Classmates and dorm mates from school, shocked at the news, quickly messaged Xu Dongyou. Some were curious about how Xu Dongyou became the official spokesperson, while others just wanted to congratulate him and make their presence felt.

Xu Dongyou’s mentor, whose eyes were practically squinting with a smile, sent a message reminding Xu Dongyou not to get complacent and to continue improving. Xu Dongyou naturally replied to each message but did not respond to those who were clearly probing for more insider information and carried a tone of jealousy, especially since he wasn’t very familiar with those classmates.

As for Hou Mingjun, he sent a few words at this time.

【Old Dong, you’ve made it big! Remember to help me out when I debut, I’ll be begging for favors.】

Xu Dongyou was both amused and speechless. He and Hou Mingjun had known each other for so many years, so their friendship wasn’t affected by changes in status. He replied, “Of course!”

Hou Mingjun probably thought Xu Dongyou was very busy at the moment, so he didn’t send any more messages. As for Xu Dongyou’s parents, they were now both excited and incredulous. They hurriedly turned away the neighbors who had come knocking after seeing the news and took some time to sit down and calm themselves.

“Hurry and call Dongyou to find out what’s going on.” Mother Xu’s hands were trembling. Although her child was very outstanding, the spokesperson position from the Anomaly Handling Bureau seemed a bit too heavy for Xu Dongyou.

She was more worried that people online would attack Xu Dongyou for not deserving the spokesperson role.

The more she thought about it, the more scared she became. Her hands couldn’t even pick up the phone, so she urged Father Xu to contact Xu Dongyou immediately.

Unbeknownst to her, Father Xu was also nervous. He told Mother Xu, “Hold on. Dongyou might be busy right now. Let’s call him tonight instead.”

“No, you need to call him right now—” Mother Xu said, but then suddenly paused and added, “Forget it, don’t call him. It might disturb him if he’s busy with something important.”

They decided to wait a bit.

The two of them felt like time was moving incredibly slowly, especially with neighbors constantly knocking on the door wanting to ask about the situation. The problem was, they both looked confused and didn’t know how to explain it to the neighbors.

When the neighbors heard that Father Xu and Mother Xu didn’t know anything either, they urged, “Then you two should hurry and call your child to ask.”

“Forget it, he’s probably at work right now.” Mother Xu explained.

The neighbors thought about it and agreed, but still couldn’t suppress their curiosity and excitement. After all, Xu Dongyou was someone they had watched grow up. To see him become not just a big star but also a bureau spokesperson was a tremendous joy. As neighbors, they felt honored.

Father Xu and Mother Xu were genuinely happy for Xu Dongyou. However, as ordinary people, they still felt a bit awed and fearful of such an official position.

At that moment, Mother Xu’s phone rang. She walked over and, upon seeing who it was, felt both delighted and scared.

It was Xu Dongyou calling.

Mother Xu was worried that Xu Dongyou’s call might be about something urgent, although it was also possible he wanted to share the good news with his parents. With a nervous heart, she answered the call.

“Mom, did you see the news? I’m calling to let you and Dad know not to worry,” Xu Dongyou explained.

He knew his parents well; they were probably very anxious but hadn’t called him out of concern that they might disturb him.

Xu Dongyou decided to call them himself to explain everything in detail and reassure them, so they wouldn’t get too worked up over the news.

After hanging up, Mother Xu’s face was uncontrollably lit up with a smile, her mood extremely joyful. The quiet neighbors immediately asked what was said on the phone.

Mother Xu said, “He didn’t say much, just confirmed the news about the official spokesperson role.”

The neighbors slapped their thighs and exclaimed, “So everything in the news is true?”

Mother Xu proudly nodded, “Of course. Can news be false?”

Father Xu’s expression was complicated. Although Mother Xu had been instinctively anxious and doubtful when she first saw the news, fearing it might be fake, she now spoke with such certainty.

He didn’t dare contradict her. After a stream of neighbors came and went, Mother Xu, still not feeling tired, excitedly told Father Xu to make something delicious for dinner to celebrate.

Father Xu could only nod in agreement and immediately went out to buy groceries. Along the way, he was likely stopped by friends and neighbors who asked about the news.

Father Xu was smiling so much that his eyes were nearly closed.

Other neighbors, seeing this, couldn’t help but feel envious. “Your son is really something. If my child were even half as good as yours, I’d be over the moon.”

Father Xu replied, “Not at all. Your little one is so smart; they’ll surely excel in their studies when they grow up.”

They each praised one another and then went their separate ways, satisfied.

At this moment, Xu Dongyou was at the Anomaly Handling Bureau. Given his newfound fame, he had to take a car driven by Zhang Feng’s assistant whenever he went out; otherwise, it would be quite troublesome.

As for school, he had already completed most of his studies. He only needed to submit a report to avoid going back to school, except for when exams required him to return.

Xu Dongyou went to the director’s office, listened to the director discuss the implementation plans from the headquarters, and then headed to the top floor. He had a matter to discuss with Elder Chen.

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